Battery housing wall interweave with wall of system enclosure to reduce height of portable computer

ABSTRACT

A technique for reducing the height of a portable computer by reducing the effective number of housing walls across the height relates specifically to the system height over the battery slot. An enclosure of the portable computer, and specifically, a wall of the enclosure in the computer&#39;s battery slot is interwoven with a wall of the battery pack housing. The effect of the invention is that the total height of the portable computer measured through the portable computer&#39;s battery slot is reduced by the thickness of one of these walls. In one implementation, there is a reduction in the system&#39;s height of over a millimeter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] There is a high degree of uniformity in system configurations fordesktop computer systems. Most desktop computers have one or more harddrives, an external monitor, a CDROM drive, and a floppy drive. Thisgeneral system configuration is consistent within the product lines ofvendors and across different vendors.

[0002] Uniformity in system configurations, however, does not exist inportable computers. It is not uncommon for a given vendor to offerportable computers that provide varying levels of portability. Somelarger models will have all of the capabilities of desktop models, andwill consequently be larger. In parallel, the vendor will also offermore streamlined models where features are sacrificed to augmentportability. These computers will have one or no removable disk drives,small battery packs, and heightened low-power capabilities.

[0003] Especially in the smaller, more-portable end of the spectrum, theportable computer system designer becomes extremely sensitive to thesystem size versus capability tradeoff. To make the systems smaller,many times the size of the battery pack is reduced as are the number ofbays for peripheral devices.

[0004] One part of the portable computer, however, can be optimizedwithout any concomitant loss in system capability. This is the portablecomputer's enclosure. Space within it can be used more effectively andstructural features of the system can be shared between variouscomponents to yield a system that has no loss in toughness yet issmaller and lighter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is directed to a technique for reducing theheight of a portable computer by reducing the effective number ofhousing walls across the height. It relates specifically to the systemheight over the battery slot.

[0006] According to the invention, an enclosure of the portablecomputer, and specifically, a wall of the enclosure in the computer'sbattery slot is interwoven with a wall of the battery pack housing. Thisis the battery pack that is inserted into the battery slot to power theportable computer.

[0007] The effect of the invention is that the total height of theportable computer measured through the portable computer's battery slotis reduced by the thickness of one of these walls. In one exemplaryimplementation, there is a reduction in the system's height by over amillimeter.

[0008] In specific embodiments, the battery pack comprises multiplebattery cells housed within a wall, which contains the cells. The wallof the battery pack housing has structural regions over the batterycells that project through the battery slot wall of the enclosure. Thesestructural regions of the battery pack housing give the battery pack thenecessary rigidity, especially torsionally. This rigidity is required bythe battery pack since it must have the capability of beingself-supporting, especially when it is removed from the portablecomputer system for recharging or storage. These structural regions ofthe battery pack housing extend between fingered sections of the batteryslot wall. The fingered sections preferably extend parallel to an axisof the battery cells of the battery pack and between the battery cells.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment, the wall of the battery pack alsocomprises reduced wall thickness regions where the thickness of thebattery pack wall is reduced relative to the structural regions of thebattery pack. Solid sections of the battery slot wall overlie thesereduced wall thickness regions of the battery pack wall. Preferably, thereduced wall thickness regions alternate with the structural regions ofthe battery pack wall along the longitudinal axis of the battery pack.Correspondingly, the solid sections of the battery slot wall alternatewith the fingered sections of the battery slot wall.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment, the battery slot is located under apalm rest of the portable computer system.

[0011] In general, according to another aspect, the invention alsofeatures a portable computer battery pack. The battery pack comprisesbattery cells and a battery pack housing surrounding the battery cells.A wall of the battery pack housing includes structural regions andreduced wall thickness regions where the thickness of the wall of thebattery pack is reduced relative to the structural regions of thebattery pack.

[0012] Finally, according to still another aspect, the invention alsofeatures a method for configuring a portable computer. This methodcomprises encasing the portable computer in an enclosure and providing abattery slot defined by at least one wall of the enclosure. Batterycells are encased within a battery pack housing. The battery pack isthen inserted into the battery slot. A wall of the battery pack housinginterweaves with a wall of the battery slot.

[0013] The above and other features of the invention including variousnovel details of construction and combinations of parts, and otheradvantages, will now be more particularly described with reference tothe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will beunderstood that the particular method and device embodying the inventionare shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of theinvention. The principles and features of this invention may be employedin various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In the drawings, like reference characters refer to the sameparts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarilyto scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principlesof the invention. Of the drawings:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective, partial cutaway view, of a portablecomputer system according to the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing interweaving of a battery slotwall of the enclosure of the computer system;

[0017]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the portable computer takenthrough a fingered section of the portable computer enclosure and astructural region of the battery pack housing; and

[0018]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through reduced wallthickness region of the battery pack wall and solid section battery slotwall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019]FIG. 1 shows a portable computer system 100, which has beenconstructed according to the principles of the present invention.

[0020] As is common, the portable computer 100 comprises a base 110 anda top cover 112 which closes over the base 110. The top cover 112 has aflat panel display 114. The base 110 comprises a keyboard 116 andcontains the primary electronic components such as a central processingunit and disk drive, for example.

[0021] In the specific embodiment shown, a pointing device controller118, specifically a touch pad, is located on a palm rest 120 in front ofthe keyboard 116. Two regions 122, 124 of the palm rest 120 are showncutaway to illustrate the present invention.

[0022] The system enclosure under the palm rest 120 comprises two walls:an upper palm rest wall 126 and a lower battery slot wall 128. Togetherthe palm rest wall 126 and the battery slot wall 128 define a batteryslot in which battery pack 130 is installed. Specifically, the batteryslot wall 128 defmes the interior surface of the rearward,approximately, three quarters of the battery slot. The battery slot wallterminates at edge 132. The palm rest wall 126 extends beyondtermination edge 132 to seam 134, which delineates the palm rest wall126 of the computer system enclosure from the outer, bottom wall 136 ofthe housing of the battery pack 130.

[0023] According to the invention, the battery slot wall 128 of thecomputer system enclosure comprises solid sections 142 and fingeredsections 138, which extend between the solid sections 142. Into theportals 144, defined by the fingered sections 138, structural regions146 of the top battery pack wall of the battery pack housing extend.

[0024] In the preferred embodiment, there are three interweaves 148,150, 152, two on either side of the portable computer system and a third152 under the touch pad 118.

[0025]FIG. 2 is a more detailed view of two of the interweaves 152, 150.

[0026] To define the battery slot, the battery slot wall 128 movingrearward wraps around the battery pack housing 154 extending verticallyat rear section 156.

[0027]FIG. 2 also shows portals 144 to accommodate the dome shapedstructural regions 146 of the battery pack housing 154 and the solidsections 142 connected by a fingered section 138.

[0028] The advantages of the present invention are best illustrated bycross-sectional views FIGS. 3 and 4, which are taken through thestructural regions 146 and reduced wall thickness regions 170,respectively, of the battery pack 130. The portals 144 between thefingered sections 138 of the battery slot wall 128 of the enclosureaccommodate the structural regions 146 of the battery pack housing.These structural regions 146 have a thickness of approximately 1.2millimeters (mm), which is enough to contain the relatively heavybattery cells A, B, C. Due to the portals, however, the total height hof the battery pack and battery enclosure wall equals the sum of onlythe diameter of the battery cell, A, B, C and the thickness of thestructural regions 146 and the width of the bottom wall 136. Thethickness of the battery slot wall 128 is effectively removed from thisequation. In one implementation, the invention reduced the total systemheight by approximately 1.2 millimeters.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a cross section taken through the reduced wall thicknessregions 170 of the battery pack. This shows the reduced wall regions 170are much thinner than the structural regions 146 only beingapproximately 0.1 mm thick, or the thickness of a label. The thinnesshere is such that the reduced wall thickness regions would not be enoughto contain the battery cells A, B, C and provide the battery pack withthe necessary rigidity, if this wall thickness extended over the entirelength of the battery pack 130.

[0030] In other embodiments, the portals 144 do not need to extendentirely through the thickness of the battery slot wall in order toachieve some of the advantages of the present invention. They couldsimply have a reduced thickness to accommodate the total thickness ofthe battery pack at the structural regions.

[0031] While this invention has been particularly shown and describedwith references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details maybe made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as defined by the appended claims. For example, those skilledin the art will recognize or be able to ascertain using no more thanroutine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments ofthe invention described specifically herein. Such equivalents areintended to be encompassed in the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable computer, comprising: an enclosure forthe portable computer having a battery slot; and a battery packsurrounded by a battery pack housing and inserted into the slot to powerthe portable computer, wherein a wall of the battery pack housing isinterwoven with a wall of the enclosure in the battery slot.
 2. Aportable computer as described in claim 1 , wherein the battery packcomprises: battery cells, and the wall of the battery pack housing hasstructural regions over the battery cells that project into the batteryslot wall of the enclosure.
 3. A portable computer as described in claim2 , wherein the battery slot wall comprises fingered sections thatextend parallel to an axis of the battery cells of the battery packbetween battery cells.
 4. A portable computer as described in claim 3 ,wherein the wall of the battery pack comprises reduced wall thicknessregions where the thickness of the battery pack wall is reduced relativeto the structural regions of the battery pack wall.
 5. A portablecomputer as described in claim 4 , wherein solid sections of the batteryslot wall overlie the reduced wall thickness regions of the battery packwall.
 6. A portable computer as described in claim 5 , wherein thereduced wall thickness regions alternate with the structural regions ofthe battery pack wall along a longitudinal axis of the battery pack. 7.A portable computer as described in claim 6 , wherein solid sections ofthe battery slot wall alternate with the fingered sections of thebattery slot wall.
 8. A portable computer as described in claim 1 ,wherein the battery slot is under a palm rest of the portable computersystem.
 9. A portable computer, comprising: an enclosure for theportable computer having a battery slot under a palm rest, a batteryslot wall comprising solid sections alternating with fmgered sections;and a battery pack containing battery cells which are surrounded by abattery pack housing and inserted into the slot to power the portablecomputer, a wall of the battery pack having structural regions over thebattery cells that project between the fingered sections of the batteryslot wall of the enclosure and reduced wall thickness regions, whichunderlie the solid sections of the battery slot wall, where thethickness of the reduced wall thickness regions of the battery pack wallare reduced relative to the structural regions of the battery pack wall.10. A portable computer battery pack comprising: battery cells; and abattery pack housing surrounding the battery cells, a wall of thebattery pack housing including structural regions and reduced wallthickness regions where the thickness of the wall of the battery pack isreduced relative to the structural regions of the battery pack wall. 11.A method for configuring a portable computer, the method comprising:encasing the portable computer in an enclosure; providing a battery slotdefined by at least one wall of the enclosure; encasing a battery packwith a battery pack housing; inserting the battery pack housing into thebattery slot; and interweaving a wall of the battery pack housing with awall of the enclosure defining the battery slot.
 12. A method asdescribed in claim 11 , further comprising: disposing battery cellswithin the battery pack housing; and providing structural regions overthe battery cells that project through the battery slot wall of theenclosure.
 13. A method as described in claim 12 , further comprisingextending fingered sections between solid sections of the battery slotwall.
 14. A method as described in claim 13 , further comprisingaligning reduced wall thickness regions of the battery pack wall undersolid sections of the battery slot wall.
 15. A method as described inclaim 14 , further comprising alternating the reduced wall thicknessregions with the structural regions of the battery pack wall along alongitudinal axis of the battery pack.
 16. A method as described inclaim 15 , further comprising alternating the solid sections of thebattery slot wall with the fingered sections of the battery slot wall.17. A method as described in claim 16 , further comprising locating thebattery slot under a palm rest of the portable computer system.